All Is Revealed
by LoonyLoopyLupin96
Summary: "Dumbledore trusts Snape, therefore I do." Is that all there is to it? Surely not. What happens when Severus brings himself to tell Remus everything he has to do?   Includes the alternative ending, in which Remus is not the only one there to hear what Severus has to say...
1. Chapter 1

He hung awkwardly by the stairs, waiting to see Remus Lupin. When the time came for Severus Snape to head back to his class to teach, he had completely given up on the idea that Remus may wander through the school. Sighing, Severus turned his back on the stairs and headed back to the dungeons. "Severus?" A voice called. Whipping his head around, Severus saw Remus heading down the stairs. He tried to hide a grin, and greet Remus as he would have greeted anyone else, but he couldn't. This was Remus; Remus whom he had always held a soft spot for. "What are you doing hanging around here?" Remus asked him. Severus bit his lip, wondering whether to come out with the truth straight away, "I...Well I've been hanging around here for a while each day..." Severus began, hoping Remus did not then say - "Why is that?" Remus asked him. With a small groan, Severus took Remus by the arm, and took him over to one side, out of the way of the students that would begin to pass by, for their next lesson. Once near the wall, he dropped his arm immediately. "Waiting for you...There's something I ought to tell you..." Severus said, swallowing as Remus' confusion grew. "But, now is really not the time..." Severus said. Understanding, Remus nodded, "How about I come down to your classroom after I have taken this letter to be posted?" Severus nodded, "Okay. Do you know..." he trailed off, remembering that Remus had taught at the school just a few years before. "Where your class is?" Remus asked, guessing, Severus nodded, and Remus chuckled. Frowning slightly, Severus said, "I remembered though, of course you know..." Remus nodded, "See you soon then," he headed away, pondering all sorts of possible things that Severus could want to talk about.

As he headed back to his class, Severus grew more and more anxious as he considered how to tell Remus the task he had been assigned, and had no choice but to fulfil. Should he come straight out with it, or work his way around to the truth? His third year's class passed by in a blur. He didn't even issue a detention to Barnaby Collins for not having stated the correct ways to deal with a boggart. Nor did he take points from the Gryffindors, which was a first for him. His mind was not on the class at all, and so as they left, looking more cheerful than they usually did after leaving his classroom. He walked slowly up the stairs at the back of his class, leaving his book out on the desk, to his office. His back towards the open door, Severus contemplated possible reactions that Remus may use. Would he be angry? Or would he trust Severus and support him in what he had to do?

"I'm back," Severus jumped as Remus walked through the door, closing it behind him. "D-did you post your letter?" Severus asked him, trying to hold off what he had to say, as his nervousness grew once more, "Yes," Remus said, walking over to the cabinet containing bottles of Butterbeer. "You don't mind, do you?" Remus said. Severus shook his head, and sat down. Remus handed Severus a glass, and sat down before him. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me about?" Remus asked him, taking a small sip. Severus placed his glass behind him on the table, and began playing with his sleeve, looking down. "I've been assigned a...task." Severus began, his heart thumping profoundly. "What kind of task?" Remus asked, filled with wonder as he watched Severus' discomfort grow. "Well...now, you believe I'm not really a Death Eater, don't you, Remus?" Severus asked him, his head turned away, but his eyes staying on Remus, who nodded, prompting Severus to go on. "Well, I have been told, by Dumbledore, that I must do something. Except, it will make me look like I belong with the Death Eaters." He paused, grimacing at the thought. Remus wondered what task could possibly make him appear as such, "And...I've made the Unbreakable Vow. Except now, I want to back out. I don't want to do it anymore Remus, please, help me, help me and I will be in your debt forever." Severus went on, beginning to panic. Surprised by the sincerity of Severus' words, Remus rose from his chair, placing down his glass, and knelt beside Severus. With his short, warm fingers, Remus unwound Severus' own long, slender fingers from his sleeve. The sleeve he had clutched in agitation as he said more of what was bothering him. Without words, Remus stayed beside Severus, still holding onto his hand, and looked him in the eyes, urging him to calm down. Severus looked back into Remus' eyes, his own, stinging as he kept his expression composed, as he matched his rapid breathing to Remus', calming down.

"Well, I am sure you're aware, that you cannot go back on your word now, not after the Vow has been made..." Remus said once Severus had calmed down, watching that he does not go back into his panic mode. "I know, I just wish...wish I'd waited, until the last possible moment," Severus said, now staring into the distance. A small part of him wanted to take his hand from Remus', but, although he wouldn't admit it to himself, he quite liked it being there. "So," Remus began again, taking Severus' thoughts away from the warm hand in his, "What is the task you have vowed to do?" Remus asked, smiling encouragingly. The smile was too much, for Severus, who rose out of his seat, dropping Remus' hand and walking over to face the wall, his own face; empty of expression as he went over the conversation with Dumbledore in his mind, "I vowed to...kill..." Remus' strained, wondering if he was hearing straight, "Kill?" he asked. Ignoring him Severus went on; "Dumbledore." Remus stopped breathing, shocked. Severus stayed looking across his shelves, trying not to listen for Remus to start breathing again. He didn't want to see hatred boil from Remus, so Severus thought it was best that he did not see how his friend reacted to the news he wasn't have supposed to have brought up. "Whose idea was this, again?" Remus asked eventually, still knelt by the empty chair. "Dumbledore's," Severus replied, his voice barely above a whisper. Silently, Remus rose from the floor, and sat back in his chair. "When?" Remus asked. As Remus' voice was now coming from a different direction, Severus turned to see him with his head in his hands. Severus walked over and sat back down in his own chair. "When...?" Severus asked, confused. "When are you going to...do it?" Remus asked him, looking up. There was no hatred in his voice, or anger, as Severus had expected. Instead, it was his usual calm, understanding manner, which prompted Severus to talk. He pondered briefly, looking down at his hands; clasped together loosely. "At the end of the year..." he finished in his head, bitterly, with, "If Draco doesn't manage first."

In his own mind, Remus figured out the date (two days after the full moon; 10th December) and figured out how much time Dumbledore had left. "Why, though?" Remus asked, once he had figured it out, "Why do you have to...kill...him?" Severus stayed silent for a moment, wondering how much he should tell Remus about what his role in life was, "Well, you have seen his hand, haven't you?" Severus asked, deciding just to tell Remus a brief outline of the truth; the pastry without the filling. "Oh yes, what happened, he hasn't told any of us anything..." Remus said. Severus gave a small, weary chuckle, "Of course he hasn't, what was he supposed to say: he put on a cursed ring, which slowly began to poison him. He got back to the school in time, and I contained the poison to his hand? I'm sure that would have gone down well. But, the damage is done; he has but a year to live." Severus went on, pleased to at last be able to tell someone how he felt about everything. "So...he's dying anyway?" Remus asked him. Severus gave a small, sharp nod. "Then, you're doing him a favour, aren't you?" Remus went on. Severus gave a bitter sigh, "That's what he said." As his understanding of the idea grew, the small part of Remus that had wanted to get out of the room and tell the rest of the Order everything he had just heard, faded away. All he wanted to do now was comfort the pained man before him. Remus said, "But it's true. We all would have had to watch him grow in pain as each day went by, had you not opted to do this for him." Severus gave a weary sigh and shook his head, "Don't you see?" he began, "None of you are supposed to know what's going on. All it takes is for you to have to go through one of the Dark Lord's torture sessions, and my position is blown," he finished, without having waited for a reply. Remus frowned, now beginning to get confused again, slowly, thinking about each word carefully, Remus said "But, once you've killed Dumbledore, everyone will know that you are on our side." Severus raised an eyebrow and began talking once more, it looked as though each word pained him a great deal, and Remus wanted nothing more than to be able to end his pain; "Think about it. If I had not told you this, and I was to go out and kill Dumbledore now with no reason, what would you think? What did you think before when I told you that I was going to have to kill him?"

Remus sat, thinking. "Well, I would think that you had arranged something with Dumbledore, and that it was for a good reason," he said, wanting only to cheer up Severus. With the opposite effect, Severus groaned again. "No. You wouldn't. Think again, Remus, come on. If I marched into the school, followed by Draco, Fenrir," Severus ignored the gasp from Remus at hearing Fenrir's name, "Bellatrix and several others, would you believe that I was on your side?" Understanding swept across Remus' face as he understood. "You're going to have to go with them, aren't you, once you have done it?" Severus let out a sigh of relief and threw himself further back on the chair saying, "Yes. Now, everything I have told you, everything we have been talking about, you can't tell anyone, Remus. I mean it." There was a brief pause, in which the two of them looked at each other. Remus wondered what he would do if he heard someone doubting Severus again. Cutting into Remus' thoughts, Severus said, "Tell me. Swear you won't repeat any of this. It would mean the death of everyone." At this, Remus nodded with a small, sad smile, "I swear." In silence, both Remus and Severus picked up their glasses and completely emptied them. Swallowing, Severus watched Remus finish his own glass and silence ensued, a new realisation hit him, as he realised how much extra trouble he had just caused. "You need to go," Severus said. To Remus' astonished look, Severus rose from his chair, "Now. Go on, please, go." He had tried to sound as though he wanted Remus to go, but he didn't feel as though he could be horrid to Remus, and so added a 'please'. Once risen from his chair, Remus didn't move any further. "Why?" he asked, watching Severus place a shaky hand into his pocket, "I'm sorry," was all Severus said, Remus had a very good idea as to the problems Severus was thinking of, but he wanted to hear it voiced, "Why?" he said again, stepping over to Severus.

Severus watched as his friend neared, and said, "I'm a fool. I've put you in danger now, by telling you this. I wasn't joking when I mentioned the torture session, Remus, He will kill you, but not before he has made you feel pain. Pain so bad you want nothing more than to die. He will get this information from you, Remus." Foreseeing another panicking mode, Remus placed his hand on Severus' arm, "He will never know that I know. Will he? You won't tell him and I certainly won't. No one else knows, so Voldemort," he ignored Severus' flinch, "will never know," he continued, "Don't worry about me, Severus. Worry about yourself." Taking a deep breath, Severus nodded. "And Dumbledore..." Severus began, unsure exactly what he was going to say, "Will never know," Remus finished for him. Severus smiled. A rare, proper smile; that met his eyes as he looked at Remus, after having just completed his sentence for him. Remus returned a smile, pleased to see some light upon Severus' face. All was not well, but for the two of them, it could have been.


	2. Alternative Ending

"Is there anything else you have to do?" Remus asked, after a while. Shaking his head, Severus said, "Nothing an, Ex-Teacher and also Gryffindor, can help with." Severus grinned mockingly at Remus, who remained serious and said, "Well, if you need help, come and find me, or just send an owl. Anything." Severus, now just with his usual small smile, said, "Do you really mean that?" Remus nodded, sliding his hand from Severus' arm, to his hand again, "I will be there for you, Severus. I swear," he said as he looked up at his friend. The two of them fixed on looking deeply into each other's eyes. "How touching," a cold voice came from the door. Turning, the two men saw - "Bella?"

Severus' voice now laced with the menace he had not used with Remus as he glared at Bellatrix in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" He asked, his hand still in Remus', his wand now drawn, in the other. "What have we here?" Bellatrix said as she walked through the door, walking as though she may have been drunk as she looked over at the two men in disgust. "A half-breed and a traitor." She answered her own question, sounding as though Christmas had come early. "He isn't a traitor," Remus said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him. Severus was ultimately surprised, Remus had never stood up for him before. At Bella's questioning look, Remus said, "He was never on your side to begin with," he now sounded stronger as he voiced his opinion. The cold glare that Bella gave them, would have, once upon a time, had him cowering away, but if there was ever a time to not look weak, it was now. Severus hand in Remus' strained slightly, as he tried to pull Remus behind him, out of the way. "No one asked your opinion," she said, not wanting to believe his words. As Severus opened his mouth to talk, she said, "Or yours." He fell silent, watching her, with a strangely amused look on his face, "I've been looking for a toy to play with," She said as she rolled up her sleeve. "And boy are we going to have some fun being able to torture you two," she said with a glee look, adding; "I've always wanted to curse you, but as the Dark Lord's favourite, it was nearly impossible." Severus chuckled, "Empty threats, Bella. Empty threats. He can't penetrate the school's walls." She shrugged, and then Remus and Severus could only watch on in horror, as she pressed her finger to the Mark.


End file.
